Favors?

LaFemmeRousse · May 2010

I need some help for a friend! She has no idea what to use for favors for her reception. It will be in August in Syracuse, NY and is the hometown reception after an extremely small destination wedding. (This is actually my best friend's younger sister.)

So- what are you doing for your favors? And/or, what is your favorite favor you've ever received as a guest at a wedding?

Thank you!

duqcheer04 · May 2010

I'm not doing favors, (I know, shame on me

) We are having to-go bags at the cookie table. I've never gotten a favor that I loved.

Overall, I think edible favors are best. No one really cares for your engraved shot glass or votive candle, IMO!

GL!

kbielak17 · May 2010

We did chocolate bars from a candy shop in my hometown....we put a ribbon and "thank you" label on them.

I am a fan of edible favors!

Nunu&Eddie · May 2010

duqcheer-- your wedding is invalid. ;-)

J-- I did candy buffet with baggies. We also had leftover cupcakes for folks to take. Our close friends did a decorated sugar cookie (NOM!) that we really liked.

I agree with edible favors. Truffles in a decorated box, brownie pops, candy, etc. work well. How about fancy popcorn like Molly did?

nicki426 · May 2010

We are doing wild flower seed packets that can be planted in spring or end of summer (works out for our mid Sept. wedding). I am putting them in mini galvanized pails, with a little favor tag that says "Love in Bloom" or "Grow some love from the new Mr. and Mrs." haven't decided on the wording yet. A lot of the people in our families really love to garden or are new couples that just bought houses and are really into working on them. So we thought this would be something cute they could plant in there yard and remember us.

melynda3117 · May 2010

At first, I thought that edible favors were the way to go. But then I thought about something that everyone uses and is age appropriate for everyone. Then we decided to go with a personalized deck of cards!

KimWard · May 2010

Edible favors are definitely the way to go- actually, I can't think of a wedding I've been to that didn't have some part of the favor that was edible. We just did Skittles- one of DH's requests, kind of silly, but I don't think much went to waste. I know some people like to do mini bottles of alcohol- nice, but could add up $ wise, and it depends on if your guests drink.

BeckyP005 · May 2010

I did popcorn from the popcorn factory. Yummy and it was a great hit.

kwynn · May 2010

I did Terrible Towels, cookie takeaway bags, and mini bottles of ketchup and mustard.

So perhaps doing something significant to the hometown or their likes/dislikes would be cool?

Best favor I ever got was a SUPER nice salt and pepper shaker that is two peas in a pod, ceramic, cute.

I also loved the wine stopper I got, very high quality. I once got a jar of homemade jam too, very cute. A bottle of champagne was nice, those smaller bottles.

I use the LOVE coasters I got all the time too. I also got golf tees and golf balls before.

I don't eat candy, so I always pass on the candy buffet favors.

Personally, I don't like an edible favor unless it is packaged well. Jar of jam or bottle of ketchup or bottle of alcohol, easy to take.

Candy wrapped in tulle is usually messy and gets left behind a lot of the time. Higher dollar value items don't get left behind in my experience.

What are there hobbies/interests? I really like when the couple chooses something personal to them.

gmc22 · May 2010

We aren't doing favors - instead, we are making a donation to the Fr. Ryan Arts Center and placing a card on each place setting telling them as such.

But, we are having the cookie table, candy buffet, and I'm having a photobooth that is printing out two strips of photos - one for them to keep and one for my guestbook.

duqcheer04 · May 2010

Gianna- I also thought about making a donation to Susan Komen. I think this is a great alternative to favors!

asamko1 · May 2010

For our escort cards, we are putting them in little picture frames from David's Bridal that will double as the favor. It will make the escort table look super cute, plus it's a nice little picture frame that I think people will use.

LaFemmeRousse · May 2010

Thank you all! I'm going the same route as many of you: doing takeaway containers for the candy buffet and cookie table in lieu of packaged favors, and also having a photobooth with extra strips for guests.

This bride (bff's younger sister) had originally wanted to do engraved shot glasses but her family hates the idea. She isn't that "into" wedding planning and I think is a little stressed about the decision making, hence the call for help

Her family members are really great cooks and bakers who are very into local food, so I think they'll end up doing something along the lines of what many of you have suggested. Thanks for the help!

gmc22 · May 2010

Meg - yeah, I couldn't find anything that I loved in the way of favors... my FSIL was telling me that for their wedding they made a donation to one of the cancer foundations (can't remember which) b/c her DHs dad died of cancer... I loved the idea and thought it was perfect!

lseemiller · May 2010

We thought about doing the donation cards as well. My FI's SIL passed away this past January from Cystic Fibrosis. We are thinking of leaving envelopes on the tables asking them for a donation to CF if they want to.

phillychica85 · May 2010

We haven't decided yet but I'm leaning towards one of two things: FI and I are huge tea drinkers so I thought about going to tevana and purchasing different flavors of loose teas and then wrapping them in tea bags ourselves (with each guest then getting three or four tea bags of different flavored teas).

My other idea is to give each guest a hand soap bar from 10,000 Villages. I shop from them all the time and obviously the money spent would go to a very good cause. Neither ideas are "edible" but I think a lot of people are tea drinkers or know someone who is, and most people use soap (at least I hope

plus it supports artisans from develping countries.

LaFemmeRousse · May 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_pennsylvania-pittsburgh_favors?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:116Discussion:91c6e1cb-1c2d-41b9-8109-b68ea9946014Post:946a3911-8786-4d53-8133-4e4f73212968">Re: Favors?</a>:
[QUOTE]We haven't decided yet but I'm leaning towards one of two things: FI and I are huge tea drinkers so I thought about going to tevana and purchasing different flavors of loose teas and then wrapping them in tea bags ourselves (with each guest then getting three or four tea bags of different flavored teas). My other idea is to give each guest a hand soap bar from 10,000 Villages. I shop from them all the time and obviously the money spent would go to a very good cause. Neither ideas are "edible" but I think a lot of people are tea drinkers or know someone who is, and most people use soap (at least I hope :) plus it supports artisans from develping countries.
Posted by phillychica85[/QUOTE]

Love both of these ideas! 10,000 Villages is awesome :)

king26 · May 2010

great ideas ladies! We're doing choclate covered pretzel sticks. We're taking two of the long pretzel rods, dipping them in white chocolate, putting blue zig zags on them, and putting a blue ribbon that says "thank you"on it.

NJSL · May 2010

We're doing my FI's homemade spice rub in glass jars with a homemade label that includes a recipe.

Since the wedding's in Syraucse, does Dinosaur BBQ have mini bottles of the BBQ sauce?

AP910 · May 2010

We are just going to do bags at the cookie table too, and a photobooth if we can justify the cost! We are going to make a donation somewhere too. PhillyChica- Have you ever gone to Kiva, com? You and several others can make a $25 loan to someone to help them with their small business, and they pay you back over a certain number of months. I've made about $75 in loans, and with my repayments have managed to make 8 or 9 loans over about 2 years. I love it! I wanted to make a loan for each table, ideally inspired by whoever was at the table, and then leave a little printout describing the person and the loan, which could turn into a donation, but FI doesn't like the idea. Boo. Anyway, I love Kiva, so I wanted to share b/c it sounds like something you and some others may be interested in

phillychica85 · May 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_pennsylvania-pittsburgh_favors?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:116Discussion:91c6e1cb-1c2d-41b9-8109-b68ea9946014Post:3e03f081-4c7f-42f2-a1a0-4c62d9851c65">Re: Favors?</a>:
[QUOTE]We are just going to do bags at the cookie table too, and a photobooth if we can justify the cost! We are going to make a donation somewhere too. PhillyChica- Have you ever gone to Kiva, com? You and several others can make a $25 loan to someone to help them with their small business, and they pay you back over a certain number of months. I've made about $75 in loans, and with my repayments have managed to make 8 or 9 loans over about 2 years. I love it! I wanted to make a loan for each table, ideally inspired by whoever was at the table, and then leave a little printout describing the person and the loan, which could turn into a donation, but FI doesn't like the idea. Boo. Anyway, I love Kiva, so I wanted to share b/c it sounds like something you and some others may be interested in :)
Posted by AP910[/QUOTE]

I never heard of the organization but love its purpose! What a great idea. It's def. something I would like to look into more. Thanks for the FYI on it!

Lilou902 · May 2010

I would agree with edible favors. I am not doing favors either, but instead making a donation to the American Cancer Society in honor of my mom who passed away. I have always just thrown favors away, unless they were edible!!

LaFemmeRousse · May 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_pennsylvania-pittsburgh_favors?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:116Discussion:91c6e1cb-1c2d-41b9-8109-b68ea9946014Post:3e03f081-4c7f-42f2-a1a0-4c62d9851c65">Re: Favors?</a>:
[QUOTE]We are just going to do bags at the cookie table too, and a photobooth if we can justify the cost! We are going to make a donation somewhere too. PhillyChica- Have you ever gone to Kiva, com? You and several others can make a $25 loan to someone to help them with their small business, and they pay you back over a certain number of months. I've made about $75 in loans, and with my repayments have managed to make 8 or 9 loans over about 2 years. I love it! I wanted to make a loan for each table, ideally inspired by whoever was at the table, and then leave a little printout describing the person and the loan, which could turn into a donation, but FI doesn't like the idea. Boo. Anyway, I love Kiva, so I wanted to share b/c it sounds like something you and some others may be interested in :)
Posted by AP910[/QUOTE]

I love Kiva! This is a really great idea. I am actually hoping to work for them at some point as a summer fellow :)

LaFemmeRousse · May 2010

Oh, and NJSL, I forwarded on the idea about Dinosaur BBQ

I had to look up what it was but it sounds perfect!

brivb10 · May 2010

WOT, but yay for Syracuse NY. Undergrad was the best there. If you need any recs for food, etc while you are there, let me know! DH and I still have vanity Syracuse University Alum plates....if the weater/economy was better, I think we'd move back there.

I did edible favors with cookies and hersehey kisses (matching labels on both). I agree about votives/engraved stuff. We have a few ornaments on our Crhistmas tree from a couple weddings, I think it's a little weird.

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